How Temperature Affects your Sleep

October 6, 2012

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Our bodies reach its relaxing point depending on how comfortable we feel. Temperature is one of the most considerable factors when it comes to determining comfort. This is the reason why air conditioners and heaters were invented; they help us attain comfort while sleeping.

If the room temperature is too hot, our bodies can produce an overwhelming amount of sweat. Because of this, we end up feeling sticky and uncomfortable and feverish and altogether demotivated. On the other hand, if the room temperature is too cold, our bodies become stiff and chilly. We may even experience an aching “brain freeze” or one of those agonizing cramps.

The length of our sleep can be dependent on the balance of room temperature. Because our body naturally longs for that perfect temperature, our brain teases the body to wake up when it isn’t getting the temperature it needs. If the room temperature is entirely balanced, we achieve sleeping much easier. And we tend to sleep significantly longer, too.

Taking a refreshing shower helps our body release stress, and more importantly, it also decreases our body temperature. Note how the relaxing point of our body increases as the temperature of our body decreases. When we feel tired, calm and drowsy, we enter some kind of a slow-mo stage. This keeps us from moving at a normal pace, which in turn makes us feel lazy and sleepy. This is good for us at times when we need to doze off, and a brief shower will give us just that.

To further advance the previous point, remember that it’s best to use warm water for your bath. Warm liquid helps normalize blood circulation, which causes oxygen to flow freely throughout the body, releasing muscle tension in the process. This is the reason why some people utilize alcohol as a sleeping agent. However, taking a warm bath is much more advisable. It’s also the healthier option in the sense that it doesn’t give you a dizzying sensation of nausea.

In places with cold outdoors, you will notice how a lot of homes make us of “heaters” and/or “electric bed heaters”. When these devices are not used, or if they are not available, people tend to use thick blankets or comforters to make them warm. We humans have the natural impulse to keep warm; it is in this state where we feel most comfortable to rest and sleep.